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Logistics · on the rundown Tuesday, October 13, 2026

Asian refiners turn to smaller tankers as freight costs climb

Covered by 9 outlets over 174 hours. First reported by Oil & Gas Journal at 15:33 UTC on October 13, 2026.

9 outlets

What happened?

  1. Vitol analysis cited by Inspenet puts freight to move US crude to Asian ports at $40 per barrel, with rates described as near record highs
  2. About 80 very large crude carriers are described as operating in regional hydrocarbon transfers, per Inspenet
  3. Taiwanese state refinery CPC bought six Aframax shipments in one week, versus its usual pattern of two to three VLCC cargoes per month, according to Inspenet
  4. Aframax vessels carry roughly 600,000 barrels versus close to 2 million barrels per voyage for VLCCs, per the Inspenet report

Taiwanese state refinery CPC bought six Aframax shipments in a single week against its usual pattern of two to three VLCC cargoes per month, and SK Energy chartered an Aframax to carry US crude in early November, according to the report.

A machine summary written from the reports listed below; read them for the full account. How summaries are made and what is checked.

Who reported it, and when?

9 distinct reports run by 9 outlets, earliest first (UTC); a syndicated report lists every site that ran it
TimeReportRun by
Oct 13 15:33OPEC+ warns soaring shipping, insurance costs impede oil flows - Oil & Gas Journal
  • Oil & Gas Journal
Oct 15 09:08OPEC+ warns soaring shipping costs are disrupting global oil trade - Logistics Manager
  • Logistics Manager
Oct 17 00:24Why are soaring oil shipping costs pushing up prices? - Inside Retail Asia
  • Inside Retail Asia
Oct 17 02:30Why are soaring oil shipping costs pushing up prices?
  • insideretail.asia
Oct 19 10:48Report by Baird Maritime
  • Baird Maritime
Oct 20 07:00Asian LNG Prices Surge Past $30 as Middle East Shipping Risks Escalate - Crude Oil Prices Today | OilPrice.com
  • Crude Oil Prices Today | OilPrice.com
Oct 20 07:09Asian refiners use smaller tankers, buy delivered crude as freight rates soar - Reuters
  • Reuters
Oct 20 10:59Asian Refiners Shift to Smaller Tankers as Crude Shipping Costs Soar - Egypt Oil & Gas
  • Egypt Oil & Gas
Oct 20 21:08Asian refineries are opting for smaller tankers
  • inspenet.com

A report's title is shown once our automated legal check has read it and passed it; one report is named by outlet, and the links lead to each report.

Who was named?

More news naming OPEC+

  1. Sep 5 · Finance idahostatejournal.com: “US hits Iranian oil tankers, and other key Mideast developments” 6
  2. Aug 3 · Climate Bloomberg: “Brazil’s Oil Output Hits Record as War Drives Up Non-OPEC Supply” 2
  3. Aug 2 · Finance Household spending data due as fuel excise extension ends 3
  4. Jul 10 · Climate Bloomberg: “UAE’s Oil Output Hit Record High in June, IEA Says” 2
  5. Jul 6 · Finance Asian shares mostly firmer as oil dips, earnings loom 3
  6. Jun 30 · Climate Bessent says China is only buyer of Iranian crude 3
  7. Jun 22 · Climate Reports: Iranian crude oil flows via Hormuz surge as more ships transit 2

Sources: the outlets' reports linked on this page; counts and times from GetYourBrief's record of those reports (methodology).